Magic Doesn’t Exist

July 25, 2017July 25, 2017 Eric Gatz1 Comment

David Blaine cannot do magic.
Chris Angel can not.
Harry Houdini could not.

Sofia the First cannot execute any magic.
Buzz Lightyear cannot.
Elsa cannot.

Barak Obama has zero magical powers.
Hillary Clinton has none.
President Trump has none.

Elon Musk offers no magic.
Warren Buffet employs none.
Bill Gates is without-magic.

Jesus never wielded magic.
Moses did not.
Allah did not.

LeBron James knows no magic.
Tom Brady knows none.
Tiger Woods knew none.

Airplanes contain no magic.
iPhones have none.
The Hadron Collider affords none.

George Washington exploited no magic.
Thomas Jefferson provided none.
Benjamin Franklin worked none.

Physics provides none.
Economics none.
Medicine none.

Leprechauns grant no magic.
Tooth fairies transport none.
Santa delivers none.

Ghosts reveal no magic.
Demons possess none.
Vampires dispatch none.

Insemination contains no magic.
Gestation displays none.
Child birth is not magic.

Harry Potter is magic-less.
Hermione Granger produces none.
Voldemort implements none.

Someone from Game of Thrones cannot do magic.
Another person from Game of Thrones cannot do any.
A mythical creature from Game of Thrones provides none.

Sunsets contain no magic.
Black holes are not magic.
Nature yields none.

The most magical part of this human experience is the knowledge, whether revealed to us yet or not, that everything has an explanation.

I Heart Bitcoin

January 16, 2017 Eric GatzLeave a comment

Bitcoin is the best software innovation built upon the Internet.

It is an instant, anonymous, cost-free, border-less, traceable, un-hackable way to exchange value.

As technology and its adoption continue to march forward, it is hard to envision a future in which Bitcoin becomes less relevant.

There are really only two possibilities:

Possibility A The number of transactions and “wallets” continue to explode and at some tipping point, Bitcoin goes “mainstream”. It becomes a staple in our lives, whether we realize it or not. Combine all those transactions with a limited number of Bitcoin and you have something quite valuable.

Possibility B Bitcoin will be worth $0.

Bitcoin is obviously very volatile and not for the faint of heart.

But not having a few in your portfolio is investing malpractice.

Mommy and Daddy v1.0

January 5, 2017January 5, 2017 Eric GatzLeave a comment

Electronics. Oy.

The generation being brought up right now will never know a world in which the iPhone didn’t exist.

Where the word “app” meant a small bite before the main meal.

Where playing a game required a tv-wired console with controllers.

Where billions of videos were not a tap away.

And where all of this was not available every second. Every. Where.

This is the first time in human history where parents must parent screen-time, all the time. Every. Where.

Growing up my default was playing outside. Any chance I had I would head outside, shoot hoops, ride my bike or just stand on the front lawn and juggle my soccer ball.

Today, the default for most children is a screen.

I am a Technologist. Someone who is awed by our current assortment of devices and software. Someone who can’t wait to see whats next.

I love technology, but I sure am struggling to parent it.

It’s not that I believe using these devices is going to “rot her brain”. There is no question that becoming comfortable with computers, being able to leverage them as tools, is a must for my daughter to prosper in the future.

The issue is that they are all-captivating. All engrossing.

When she’s watching the iPad, the world around her, which is far more entertaining and exponentially more beautiful, simple fades away. I guess I am scared she may not come my same conclusion.

Generation Screen is upon us. And we current parents are gamely attempting to discover the appropriate balance in this new age of ubiquitous 1s and 0s.

Echo Dots for Everybody

December 22, 2016December 22, 2016 Eric GatzLeave a comment

Amazon has hit on something huge with the Echo. Something that is here to stay.

They are sold out through Christmas.

Google has jumped feet first into the market.

And the best leading indicator of them all, the Development community is on board. There are more than 3,000 “skills” currently available and growing rapidly.

The newest and smallest iteration is called Echo Dot. It currently sells for $39.99.

I believe it would be worth it if Amazon just gave them away for free.

Outside of the marketing burst it would garner, Amazon would then have a microphone, speaker and network appliance inside of everyones home.

Always listening.

Always interacting.

Always collecting data.

Always learning, becoming more helpful.

And of course, placing the entire World of Amazon just a shout away.

The battle for this space is the battle to control the home, and although they may not know it today, customers are choosing their ecosystems for life.